Kozhikode may be far ahead compared to other districts in the State when it comes to the control of communicable diseases, mainly owing to intense awareness campaigns organised by the Department of Health. However, the sudden spurt of dengue fever cases in certain parts of the district has caused some concern.
Just 10 days into June, 149 suspected cases of dengue have been reported in the district while it was only 132 in the entire month of May. Eleven cases have been confirmed in June, while it was 41 in May and 5 in April.
District Malaria Officer Vimal Raj has said that no indigenous cases of malaria have been reported in Kozhikode district in June, even though six cases have been identified as imported ones.
“These are people who have recently returned from other States and thus carried the disease into the district,” he said, and added that only two indigenous cases were reported in May, one in Vellayil and another in Thiruvangoor, though the total count was 11. He said the migrant labourers were a risk group as they were often silent carriers of the disease.
